"Naomi!"

I jerked awake, heart pounding and mouth begging for water. My entire throat felt swollen.

"Were you crying?" Amarilla asked.

I pulled my spinne down over my hand and frantically wiped at my tears. "Bad dream," I said, trying to lower my heartrate.

She nodded. "Yeah, I get a lot of those," she said. "Dinner is in half an hour," she said as I found a cup of water next to the couch and downed it. "I would have let you sleep longer, but you started to weep, so..." she shrugged. "Seemed like a good wake-up time."

I nodded, trying to clear my puffy eyes. "I should get changed," I said. "The Strapos will all be here, right?"

Amarilla nodded. "Yup. Would you like to borrow a dress?" she asked. I glanced down at my tunic.

"I really don't want to, but I probably should." Amarilla nodded.

"Yeah," she said. "A brown tunic screams 'I don't belong here.'"

I pushed off the couch and was grateful that we were alone. Amarilla began leading us down to her room. "Well, I don't," I returned. "I don't belong here."

Amarilla rolled her eyes. "Really? Even after last night when Ember was adamant about you being his ward?" she said. "I will gladly be his ward until Eli and I are married. You should be thrilled."

We entered her room and Amarilla went to her chest, pulling out a few dresses and laying them on her bed. "Well, I would prefer being my own ward," I said.

"You have always been scared," she noted. "But is this a weird thing to be afraid of."

I shrugged. Amarilla was deciding between a plain dark blue dress with golden thread at the sleeves and an Oxblood one with pearls sewn into the bodice. Her hands landed on the Oxblood one and I shook my head.

"Amarilla, I am a human. Give me a simple dress. Please. I don't need any attention brough to myself."

"Yes," she said. "Well. My decision is made. You may wear this Oxblood dress, or you can go in your brown tunic."

I narrowed my eyes. "Are you really going to test me?" I asked.

She smirked and nodded.

"Brown tunic, it is," I said. I turned on my heel confidently, silently praying she changed her mind. I would go through with it, but I also didn't want to draw any unnecessary attention to myself by being underdressed.

I felt a small scratch on my back and heard the awful sound of tearing. I whirled around and Amarilla was right behind me with a guilty grin on her face.

I reached behind me and, sure enough, found my back kissing the air.

"Amarilla!" I exclaimed in shock. "You just ruined my tunic!" I turned my back to the wall, hoping that no one was outside our window to see my bare back.

"Oh, no," she said sarcastically. "I guess you'll have to wear the red one," she said. He waved her hand dismissively at my distress. "They can sew it back together."

I frowned.

"No choice now!" she exclaimed happily and yanked the ruined tunic off my shoulder, making me jump back in annoyance.

"Give me the blue dress," I said sharply.

"No," she said simply. "Put on the red dress and sit down so I can braid your hair."

"Amarilla," I said lowly.

She put her hands on her hips. "You know I will win. How about this? You wear this red dress and I will not bring up Ember's oath at dinner."

"You wouldn't."

"I just tore your tunic to get my way. You think an empty threat will stop me?" she asked sarcastically.

I groaned. She smiled.

Just like old times.